System and method for unified authentication in communication networks

ABSTRACT

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method comprising authenticating, by a server comprising a processor, a communication device to a first communication network, in accordance with authentication information stored in a first repository of the first communication network. The method also comprises determining, by the server, that a second communication network is accessible to the communication device. The method further comprises providing, by the server, the authentication information to a second repository of the second communication network in accordance with the determining, wherein the providing is performed independently of a request from the second communication network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 14/307,638, filed Jun. 18, 2014, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The subject disclosure relates to a system and method for authenticatingmobile devices that move between different networks.

BACKGROUND

Subscribers to wireless communication networks often move their mobiledevices from one type of communication network to another, for examplefrom a 3G or LTE network (mobility network) to a Wi-Fi network. Eachmovement to a different communication network typically requires that anauthentication procedure be performed for the device on thatcommunication network.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative embodiment of an architecture for acellular network for interacting with mobile communication devices;

FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative embodiment of authentication proceduresin wireless networks;

FIG. 3 depicts a unified authentication procedure for a mobile devicemoving between wireless communication networks, in accordance with anembodiment of the disclosure;

FIGS. 4-5 are connected flowcharts illustrating procedures forauthenticating a mobile device moving between networks, in accordancewith embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication systemincluding a wireless communication network;

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication systemincluding telephone networks;

FIG. 8 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal forinteracting with the communication systems of FIGS. 6 and 7;

FIG. 9 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device; and

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the form of acomputer system within which a set of instructions, when executed, maycause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods describedherein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject disclosure describes, among other things, illustrativeembodiments for a unified authentication procedure for a communicationdevice accessing different communication networks (e.g. a mobilitynetwork and a Wi-Fi network). Other embodiments are described in thesubject disclosure.

One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include storingauthentication credentials for a communication device on a firstnetwork, determining that a second network is accessible by thecommunication device, and automatically pushing the authenticationcredentials to a repository of the second network. This permits thecommunication device to be authenticated to the second network withoutthe need for further communication between the first and secondcommunication networks.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a server comprising amemory to store instructions and a controller coupled to the memory. Thecontroller, responsive to executing the instructions, performsoperations. The operations comprise receiving a first request from acommunication device for authentication to a first communicationnetwork, authenticating the communication device to the firstcommunication network, and storing authentication information regardingthe communication device in a first repository of the firstcommunication network. The operations also comprise receiving locationinformation for the communication device, and determining that a secondcommunication network is accessible to the communication device inaccordance with the location information. The operations furthercomprise providing the authentication information to a second repositoryof the second communication network in accordance with the determining,the authentication information thereby being available in the secondrepository in advance of a second request for authentication from thecommunication device to the second communication network.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a non-transitory anon-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising instructions.The instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor toperform operations. The operations comprise authenticating acommunication device to a first communication network, and determiningthat a second communication network is accessible to the communicationdevice. The operations further comprise providing authenticationinformation, stored in a first repository of the first communicationnetwork, regarding the communication device to a second repository ofthe second communication network in accordance with the determining, theauthentication information thereby being available in the secondrepository in advance of a second request for authentication ofcommunication device to the second communication network.

One embodiment of the subject disclosure includes a method comprisingauthenticating, by a server comprising a processor, a communicationdevice to a first communication network, in accordance withauthentication information stored in a first repository of the firstcommunication network. The method also comprises determining, by theserver, that a second communication network is accessible to thecommunication device. The method further comprises providing, by theserver, the authentication information to a second repository of thesecond communication network in accordance with the determining, whereinthe providing is performed independently of a request from the secondcommunication network.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an architecture 100 for wirelesscommunication networks with different (typically overlapping) regions ofcoverage. Mobile devices 110 with a variety of technologies (phones,tablets, etc.) have an end-to-end connection established with either thePublic Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 160, in the case of voicetraffic, or an internet protocol network (Internet) 102, in the case ofdata traffic. The architecture can include a GSM network 120, a 3Gnetwork 130, and/or an LTE network 140. In particular, LTEspecifications define an all-internet protocol architecture with voiceover internet protocol (VoIP). FIG. 1 also illustrates a deviceaccessing the network through an Internet Service Provider (ISP)broadband connection 112. GSM, 3G and LTE networks are referred toherein generally as mobility networks.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a procedure 200 in which a mobilecommunication device 110 of a subscriber is authenticated to mobilitynetwork 210, and then moves to a region covered by Wi-Fi network 250. Inorder to access the mobility network, device 110 transmits anauthentication request to mobile switching center (MSC) 211, whichforwards the request to consolidated network repository (CNR) 220. TheCNR has stored therein the authentication credentials for thesubscriber, and performs the authentication procedure. However, when thedevice changes location so that communication via Wi-Fi network 250 isdesired, the device must be authenticated to the Wi-Fi network. A newauthentication request from device 110, accessing network 250 at Wi-Fiaccess point (AP) 256, is sent to the Trusted WAN Access Gateway/Proxy(TWAG/TWAP) 251. In this example, the subscriber credentials are notavailable to the TWAG/TWAP on the Wi-Fi network. The TWAG/TWAP thereforemust communicate back to the mobility network, via the AuthenticationAuthorization Accounting (AAA) proxy 225 of the mobility network, totransmit the Wi-Fi authentication request to the CNR 220. The CNR thenperforms a new authentication procedure, the results of which aretransmitted through AAA proxy 225 to TWAG/TWAP 251.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a procedure 300 according to anembodiment of the disclosure, in which device 110 can be authenticatedto Wi-Fi network 250 without requiring further signaling between Wi-Finetwork 250 and mobility network 210. In this embodiment, authenticationcenter (AUC) 315 stores information regarding the authenticationperformed by CNR 220, and information regarding the location of device110. The location information is updated as the device moves. The accessnetwork discovery and selection function (ANDSF) 221 can determine whendevice 110 has moved into the region covered by Wi-Fi network 250. TheANDSF updates a network discovery data repository UDR 321 in the CNRregarding accessibility to the subscriber device of the Wi-Fi network.This prompts the CNR to initiate a transfer (push) 331 of theauthenticated subscriber credentials to the Wi-Fi network 250 via AAAproxy 225.

The AAA proxy communicates with TWAG/TWAP 251, which stores thecredentials at a storage facility in communication with TWAG/TWAP 251.In this example, the subscriber device authentication credentials arestored in re-expedited authentication protocol repository (Fast REAP)255.

When device 110 sends an authentication request to the Wi-Fi network ataccess point 256, the TWAG/TWAP can retrieve the authenticatedsubscriber credentials from Fast REAP 255. The TWAG/TWAP can completethe authentication process on the Wi-Fi network for device 110 and sendan acknowledgment via AP 256. In this embodiment, the credential push331 permits authentication to the Wi-Fi network without additionalsignaling traffic between the mobility network 210 and the Wi-Fi network250.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are connected flowcharts illustrating a procedure forauthenticating a subscriber mobile device to both a mobile network and aWi-Fi network, in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. Thismay be viewed as a unified authentication procedure, since theauthentication is valid for both networks.

In the first portion 400 of the procedure, the subscriber device isauthenticated to the mobility network. When the subscriber device 110 ispowered ON (step 402), the access network discovery and selectionfunction (ANDSF) 221 of the mobile network causes the device toautomatically send an authentication request 301 to the MSC 211 (step404). In other embodiments, the authentication request can be sent to aserving general packet radio services support node (SGSN) or a mobilitymanagement element (MME). The authentication request is sent from theMSC to the consolidated network repository (CNR) 220, which thenauthenticates the subscriber device based on subscriber credentialsstored in the CNR and/or in the AUC (step 406). The AUC 315 stores datapertinent to the authentication (step 408), and also stores informationregarding location of the device 110 (step 410). The AUC is updated eachtime the device performs a location update (step 412)

If the device 110 moves to an area where a Wi-Fi network is accessibleto the device (step 414), the ANDSF 221 updates the UDR 321 with thisinformation (step 416). In this embodiment, the ANDSF signals the devicethat the Wi-Fi network is available, and populates the UDR with thesubscriber credentials based on location of the device in the Wi-Finetwork coverage area. The CNR then triggers a transmission of thealready authenticated subscriber credentials (credential push 331) viathe AAA proxy 225 onto the Wi-Fi network (step 418). In this embodiment,the AAA proxy 225 communicates with the TWAG/TWAP 251 in the Wi-Finetwork, so that the credentials are pushed to the TWAG/TWAP and thenstored (as shown schematically in FIG. 3). In this embodiment, thesesteps are performed on the basis of detected movement of the subscriberdevice into the Wi-Fi network coverage area, and generally are completedbefore the device accesses the Wi-Fi network.

FIG. 5 illustrates the continuation 500 of the procedure, in which thesubscriber device is authenticated to the Wi-Fi network. In step 502,the authenticated subscriber credentials are stored in the Fast REAPrepository 255. The subscriber device accesses the Wi-Fi network ataccess point (AP) 256 (step 504), and sends an authentication request toTWAP (step 506). The TWAP checks the Fast REAP repository for thesubscriber credentials (step 508). In this example, the subscriber'scredentials have already been pushed and stored in the Fast REAPrepository, so that the TWAP obtains those credentials from the FastREAP repository and does not need to send the authentication request tothe CNR of the mobility network. The TWAP then sends an acknowledgmentto the device via the AP and completes the Wi-Fi authentication process(step 510) without added signaling traffic in the mobility network.

It will be appreciated that in the unified authentication procedure, theonly outgoing signal from the mobility network to the Wi-Fi network isthe credential push 331 from the CNR via the AAA proxy. The TWAPcontacts the CNR to obtain information regarding the subscriber only inthe event that the subscriber's credentials are not found in the FastREAP repository (step 512).

It will be appreciated that if the device subsequently moves from theWi-Fi network coverage area to the mobility network coverage area, thedevice will then be authenticated to the mobility network also.Accordingly, the unified authentication procedure results in validauthentication for a device that repeatedly transits between themobility network and the Wi-Fi network.

In another embodiment, the ANDSF can predict movement of the subscriberdevice from the mobility network to the WiFi network, based oninformation 411 regarding the path traveled by the device, information413 regarding past subscriber behavior, etc. The subscriber'scredentials thus can be pushed to a selected WiFi network before thesubscriber device moves to that network.

In a further embodiment, the credential push can also includeinstructions 419 regarding services that will be offered to thesubscriber using the WiFi network. For example, the subscriber may beauthenticated to the WiFi network only for a limited range of services,restricted bandwidth, etc.

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system 600for delivering media content. The communication system 600 can representa broadcast media system. Communication system 600 can be overlaid oroperably coupled with a mobile communication network as shown in FIGS.1-3. For instance, one or more devices illustrated in the communicationsystem 600 of FIG. 6 can provide repository, gateway or proxy functionsof the mobile communication networks described above.

The media system can include a super head-end office (SHO) 610 with atleast one super headend office server (SHS) 611 which receives mediacontent from satellite and/or terrestrial communication systems. In thepresent context, media content can represent, for example, audiocontent, moving image content such as 2D or 3D videos, video games,virtual reality content, still image content, and combinations thereof.The SHS server 611 can forward packets associated with the media contentto one or more video head-end servers (VHS) 614 via a network of videohead-end offices (VHO) 612 according to a multicast communicationprotocol.

The VHS 614 can distribute multimedia broadcast content via an accessnetwork 618 to commercial and/or residential buildings 602 housing agateway 604 (such as a residential or commercial gateway). The accessnetwork 618 can represent a group of digital subscriber line accessmultiplexers (DSLAMs) located in a central office or a service areainterface that provide broadband services over fiber optical links orcopper twisted pairs 619 to buildings 602. The gateway 604 can usecommunication technology to distribute broadcast signals to mediaprocessors 606 such as Set-Top Boxes (STBs) which in turn presentbroadcast channels to media devices 608 such as computers or televisionsets managed in some instances by a media controller 607 (such as aninfrared or RF remote controller).

The gateway 604, the media processors 606, and media devices 608 canutilize tethered communication technologies (such as coaxial, powerlineor phone line wiring) or can operate over a wireless access protocolsuch as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Bluetooth®, Zigbee®, or other presentor next generation local or personal area wireless network technologies.By way of these interfaces, unicast communications can also be invokedbetween the media processors 606 and subsystems of the media system forservices such as video-on-demand (VoD), browsing an electronicprogramming guide (EPG), or other infrastructure services.

A satellite broadcast television system 629 can be used in the mediasystem of FIG. 6. The satellite broadcast television system can beoverlaid, operably coupled with, or replace the IPTV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 600. In thisembodiment, signals transmitted by a satellite 615 that include mediacontent can be received by a satellite dish receiver 631 coupled to thebuilding 602. Modulated signals received by the satellite dish receiver631 can be transferred to the media processors 606 for demodulating,decoding, encoding, and/or distributing broadcast channels to the mediadevices 608. The media processors 606 can be equipped with a broadbandport to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network 632 to enableinteractive services such as VoD and EPG as described above.

In yet another embodiment, an analog or digital cable broadcastdistribution system such as cable TV system 633 can be overlaid,operably coupled with, or replace the satellite TV system as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 600. In thisembodiment, the cable TV system 633 can also provide Internet,telephony, and interactive media services.

The subject disclosure can apply to other present or next generationover-the-air and/or landline media content services system.

Some of the network elements of the media system can be coupled to oneor more computing devices 630, a portion of which can operate as a webserver for providing web portal services over the ISP network 632 towireline media devices 608 or wireless communication devices 616.

Communication system 600 can also provide for all or a portion of thecomputing devices 630 to function as a network server providing variousservices to wireless communication devices that have been authenticatedto the network. In particular, the server 630 can perform the unifiedauthentication procedure for a mobility network 635. In addition, themedia processors 606 and wireless communication devices 616 can beprovisioned with software functions to utilize the services offered vianetwork server 630.

Multiple forms of media services can be offered to media devices overlandline technologies such as those described above. Additionally, mediaservices can be offered to media devices by way of a wireless accessbase station 617 operating according to common wireless access protocolssuch as Global System for Mobile or GSM, Code Division Multiple Accessor CDMA, Time Division Multiple Access or TDMA, Universal MobileTelecommunications or UMTS, World interoperability for Microwave orWiMAX, Software Defined Radio or SDR, Long Term Evolution or LTE, and soon. Other present and next generation wide area wireless access networktechnologies can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication system 700employing an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) network architecture tofacilitate the combined services of circuit-switched and packet-switchedsystems. Communication system 700 can be overlaid or operably coupledwith a mobile communication network as shown in FIGS. 1-3 as anotherrepresentative embodiment of communication system 600.

Communication system 700 can comprise a Home Subscriber Server (HSS)740, a tElephone NUmber Mapping (ENUM) server 730, and other networkelements of an IMS network 770. The IMS network 770 can establishcommunications between IMS-compliant communication devices (CDs) 701,702, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) CDs 703, 705, andcombinations thereof by way of a Media Gateway Control Function (MGCF)720 coupled to a PSTN network 760. The MGCF 720 need not be used when acommunication session involves IMS CD to IMS CD communications. Acommunication session involving at least one PSTN CD may utilize theMGCF 720.

IMS CDs 701, 702 can register with the IMS network 770 by contacting aProxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) which communicates with aninterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF), which in turn, communicates with a ServingCSCF (S-CSCF) to register the CDs with the HSS 740. To initiate acommunication session between CDs, an originating IMS CD 701 can submita Session Initiation Protocol (SIP INVITE) message to an originatingP-CSCF 704 which communicates with a corresponding originating S-CSCF706. The originating S-CSCF 706 can submit the SIP INVITE message to oneor more application servers (ASs) 717 that can provide a variety ofservices to IMS subscribers.

For example, the application servers 717 can be used to performoriginating call feature treatment functions on the calling party numberreceived by the originating S-CSCF 706 in the SIP INVITE message.Originating treatment functions can include determining whether thecalling party number has international calling services, call IDblocking, calling name blocking, 7-digit dialing, and/or is requestingspecial telephony features (e.g., *72 forward calls, *73 cancel callforwarding, *67 for caller ID blocking, and so on). Based on initialfilter criteria (iFCs) in a subscriber profile associated with a CD, oneor more application servers may be invoked to provide various calloriginating feature services.

Additionally, the originating S-CSCF 706 can submit queries to the ENUMsystem 730 to translate an E.164 telephone number in the SIP INVITEmessage to a SIP Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) if the terminatingcommunication device is IMS-compliant. The SIP URI can be used by anInterrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 707 to submit a query to the HSS 740 toidentify a terminating S-CSCF 714 associated with a terminating IMS CDsuch as reference 702. Once identified, the I-CSCF 707 can submit theSIP INVITE message to the terminating S-CSCF 714. The terminating S-CSCF714 can then identify a terminating P-CSCF 716 associated with theterminating CD 702. The P-CSCF 716 may then signal the CD 702 toestablish Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication services,thereby enabling the calling and called parties to engage in voiceand/or data communications. Based on the iFCs in the subscriber profile,one or more application servers may be invoked to provide various callterminating feature services, such as call forwarding, do not disturb,music tones, simultaneous ringing, sequential ringing, etc.

In some instances the aforementioned communication process issymmetrical. Accordingly, the terms “originating” and “terminating” inFIG. 7 may be interchangeable. It is further noted that communicationsystem 700 can be adapted to support video conferencing. In addition,communication system 700 can be adapted to provide the IMS CDs 701, 702with the multimedia and Internet services of communication system 600 ofFIG. 6.

If the terminating communication device is instead a PSTN CD such as CD703 or CD 705 (in instances where the cellular phone only supportscircuit-switched voice communications), the ENUM system 730 can respondwith an unsuccessful address resolution which can cause the originatingS-CSCF 706 to forward the call to the MGCF 720 via a Breakout GatewayControl Function (BGCF) 719. The MGCF 720 can then initiate the call tothe terminating PSTN CD over the PSTN network 760 to enable the callingand called parties to engage in voice and/or data communications.

It is further appreciated that the CDs of FIG. 7 can operate as wirelineor wireless devices. For example, the CDs of FIG. 7 can becommunicatively coupled to a cellular base station 721, a femtocell, aWiFi router, a Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) baseunit, or another suitable wireless access unit to establishcommunications with the IMS network 770 of FIG. 7. The cellular accessbase station 721 can operate according to common wireless accessprotocols such as GSM, CDMA, TDMA, UMTS, WiMax, SDR, LTE, and so on.Other present and next generation wireless network technologies can beused by one or more embodiments of the subject disclosure. Accordingly,multiple wireline and wireless communication technologies can be used bythe CDs of FIG. 7.

Cellular phones supporting LTE can support packet-switched voice andpacket-switched data communications and thus may operate asIMS-compliant mobile devices. In this embodiment, the cellular basestation 721 may communicate directly with the IMS network 770 as shownby the arrow connecting the cellular base station 721 and the P-CSCF716.

Alternative forms of a CSCF can operate in a device, system, component,or other form of centralized or distributed hardware and/or software.Indeed, a respective CSCF may be embodied as a respective CSCF systemhaving one or more computers or servers, either centralized ordistributed, where each computer or server may be configured to performor provide, in whole or in part, any method, step, or functionalitydescribed herein in accordance with a respective CSCF. Likewise, otherfunctions, servers and computers described herein, including but notlimited to, the HSS, the ENUM server, the BGCF, and the MGCF, can beembodied in a respective system having one or more computers or servers,either centralized or distributed, where each computer or server may beconfigured to perform or provide, in whole or in part, any method, step,or functionality described herein in accordance with a respectivefunction, server, or computer.

The server 630 of FIG. 6 can be operably coupled to communication system700 for purposes similar to those described above. Server 630 canperform authentication functions including the unified authenticationprocedure and thereby provide authentication services to the CDs 701,702, 703 and 705 of FIG. 7. CDs 701, 702, 703 and 705 can be adaptedwith software to utilize the services of the server 630 (in particular,authentication to a communication network) similarly to communicationdevice 110 as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-5. Server 630can also be an integral part of the application servers 717 and adaptedto the operations of the IMS network 770.

For illustration purposes only, the terms S-CSCF, P-CSCF, I-CSCF, and soon, can be server devices, but may be referred to in the subjectdisclosure without the word “server.” It is also understood that anyform of a CSCF server can operate in a device, system, component, orother form of centralized or distributed hardware and software. It isfurther noted that these terms and other terms such as DIAMETER commandsare terms can include features, methodologies, and/or fields that may bedescribed in whole or in part by standards bodies such as 3^(rd)Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It is further noted that some orall embodiments of the subject disclosure may in whole or in partmodify, supplement, or otherwise supersede final or proposed standardspublished and promulgated by 3GPP.

FIG. 8 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a web portal 802 of acommunication system 800. Communication system 800 can be overlaid oroperably coupled with communication system 600, and/or communicationsystem 700 as another representative embodiment of a mobilecommunication network as described in FIGS. 1-5. The web portal 802 canbe used for managing services of the mobile communication network andcommunication systems 600-700. A web page of the web portal 802 can beaccessed by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) with an Internet browserusing an Internet-capable communication device (for example, mobiledevices 110, 616 or 705). The web portal 802 can be configured, forexample, to access a media processor 606 and services managed therebysuch as a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), a Video on Demand (VoD) catalog,an Electronic Programming Guide (EPG), or a personal catalog (such aspersonal videos, pictures, audio recordings, etc.) stored at the mediaprocessor 606. The web portal 802 can also be used for provisioning IMSservices described earlier, provisioning Internet services, provisioningcellular phone services, and so on.

FIG. 9 depicts an illustrative embodiment of a communication device 900.Communication device 900 can serve in whole or in part as anillustrative embodiment of the devices depicted in FIGS. 1-3 and 6-8.

Communication device 900 can comprise a wireline and/or wirelesstransceiver 902 (herein transceiver 902), a user interface (UI) 904, apower supply 914, a location receiver 916, a motion sensor 918, anorientation sensor 920, and a controller 906 for managing operationsthereof. The transceiver 902 can support short-range or long-rangewireless access technologies such as Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, WiFi, DECT, orcellular communication technologies, just to mention a few (Bluetooth®and ZigBee® are trademarks registered by the Bluetooth® Special InterestGroup and the ZigBee® Alliance, respectively). Cellular technologies caninclude, for example, CDMA-1×, UMTS/HSDPA, GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO,WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next generation wireless communicationtechnologies as they arise. The transceiver 902 can also be adapted tosupport circuit-switched wireline access technologies (such as PSTN),packet-switched wireline access technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP,etc.), and combinations thereof.

The UI 904 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive keypad 908 witha navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a joystick, a mouse, or anavigation disk for manipulating operations of the communication device900. The keypad 908 can be an integral part of a housing assembly of thecommunication device 900 or an independent device operably coupledthereto by a tethered wireline interface (such as a USB cable) or awireless interface supporting for example Bluetooth®. The keypad 908 canrepresent a numeric keypad commonly used by phones, and/or a QWERTYkeypad with alphanumeric keys. The UI 904 can further include a display910 such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED(Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technology forconveying images to an end user of the communication device 900. In anembodiment where the display 910 is touch-sensitive, a portion or all ofthe keypad 908 can be presented by way of the display 910 withnavigation features.

The display 910 can use touch screen technology to also serve as a userinterface for detecting user input. As a touch screen display, thecommunication device 900 can be adapted to present a user interface withgraphical user interface (GUI) elements that can be selected by a userwith a touch of a finger. The touch screen display 910 can be equippedwith capacitive, resistive or other forms of sensing technology todetect how much surface area of a user's finger has been placed on aportion of the touch screen display. This sensing information can beused to control the manipulation of the GUI elements or other functionsof the user interface. The display 910 can be an integral part of thehousing assembly of the communication device 900 or an independentdevice communicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface(such as a cable) or a wireless interface.

The UI 904 can also include an audio system 912 that utilizes audiotechnology for conveying low volume audio (such as audio heard inproximity of a human ear) and high volume audio (such as speakerphonefor hands free operation). The audio system 912 can further include amicrophone for receiving audible signals of an end user. The audiosystem 912 can also be used for voice recognition applications. The UI904 can further include an image sensor 913 such as a charged coupleddevice (CCD) camera for capturing still or moving images.

The power supply 914 can utilize common power management technologiessuch as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply regulationtechnologies, and/or charging system technologies for supplying energyto the components of the communication device 900 to facilitatelong-range or short-range portable applications. Alternatively, or incombination, the charging system can utilize external power sources suchas DC power supplied over a physical interface such as a USB port orother suitable tethering technologies.

The location receiver 916 can utilize location technology such as aglobal positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of assisted GPS foridentifying a location of the communication device 900 based on signalsgenerated by a constellation of GPS satellites, which can be used forfacilitating location services such as navigation. The motion sensor 918can utilize motion sensing technology such as an accelerometer, agyroscope, or other suitable motion sensing technology to detect motionof the communication device 900 in three-dimensional space. Theorientation sensor 920 can utilize orientation sensing technology suchas a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the communication device900 (north, south, west, and east, as well as combined orientations indegrees, minutes, or other suitable orientation metrics).

The communication device 900 can use the transceiver 902 to alsodetermine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth®, or other wirelessaccess points by sensing techniques such as utilizing a received signalstrength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal time of arrival (TOA) or time offlight (TOF) measurements. The controller 906 can utilize computingtechnologies such as a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP),programmable gate arrays, application specific integrated circuits,and/or a video processor with associated storage memory such as Flash,ROM, RAM, SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executingcomputer instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by theaforementioned components of the communication device 900.

Other components not shown in FIG. 9 can be used in one or moreembodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the communicationdevice 900 can include a reset button (not shown). The reset button canbe used to reset the controller 906 of the communication device 900. Inyet another embodiment, the communication device 900 can also include afactory default setting button positioned, for example, below a smallhole in a housing assembly of the communication device 900 to force thecommunication device 900 to re-establish factory settings. In thisembodiment, a user can use a protruding object such as a pen or paperclip tip to reach into the hole and depress the default setting button.The communication device 900 can also include a slot for adding orremoving an identity module such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM)card. SIM cards can be used for identifying subscriber services,executing programs, storing subscriber data, and so forth.

The communication device 900 as described herein can operate with moreor less of the circuit components shown in FIG. 9. These variantembodiments can be used in one or more embodiments of the subjectdisclosure.

The communication device 900 can be adapted to perform the functions ofmobile communication devices shown in FIGS. 1-3, the media processor606, the media devices 608, or the portable communication devices 616 ofFIG. 6, as well as the IMS CDs 701-702 and PSTN CDs 703-705 of FIG. 7.It will be appreciated that the communication device 900 can alsorepresent other devices that can operate in mobility network 210, Wi-Finetwork 250, or in communication systems 600-700 of FIGS. 6-7 such as agaming console and a media player.

Upon reviewing the aforementioned embodiments, it would be evident to anartisan with ordinary skill in the art that said embodiments can bemodified, reduced, or enhanced without departing from the scope of theclaims described below. Other embodiments can be used in the subjectdisclosure.

It should be understood that devices described in the exemplaryembodiments can be in communication with each other via various wirelessand/or wired methodologies. The methodologies can be links that aredescribed as coupled, connected and so forth, which can includeunidirectional and/or bidirectional communication over wireless pathsand/or wired paths that utilize one or more of various protocols ormethodologies, where the coupling and/or connection can be direct (e.g.,no intervening processing device) and/or indirect (e.g., an intermediaryprocessing device such as a router).

FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary diagrammatic representation of a machine inthe form of a computer system 1000 within which a set of instructions,when executed, may cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethods described above. One or more instances of the machine canoperate, for example, as the network server 630, the CNR 220, the AUC315, the TWAG/TWAP 251, the AAA proxy 225, and other devices of FIGS.1-3. In some embodiments, the machine may be connected (e.g., using anetwork 1026) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machinemay operate in the capacity of a server or a client user machine in aserver-client user network environment, or as a peer machine in apeer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment.

The machine may comprise a server computer, a client user computer, apersonal computer (PC), a tablet, a smart phone, a laptop computer, adesktop computer, a control system, a network router, switch or bridge,or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential orotherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. It will beunderstood that a communication device of the subject disclosureincludes broadly any electronic device that provides voice, video ordata communication. Further, while a single machine is illustrated, theterm “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machinesthat individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) ofinstructions to perform any one or more of the methods discussed herein.

The computer system 1000 may include a processor (or controller) 1002(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a graphics processing unit(GPU, or both), a main memory 1004 and a static memory 1006, whichcommunicate with each other via a bus 1008. The computer system 1000 mayfurther include a display unit 1010 (e.g., a liquid crystal display(LCD), a flat panel, or a solid state display). The computer system 1000may include an input device 1012 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor controldevice 1014 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 1016, a signal generationdevice 1018 (e.g., a speaker or remote control) and a network interfacedevice 1020. In distributed environments, the embodiments described inthe subject disclosure can be adapted to utilize multiple display units1010 controlled by two or more computer systems 1000. In thisconfiguration, presentations described by the subject disclosure may inpart be shown in a first of the display units 1010, while the remainingportion is presented in a second of the display units 1010.

The disk drive unit 1016 may include a tangible computer-readablestorage medium 1022 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions(e.g., software 1024) embodying any one or more of the methods orfunctions described herein, including those methods illustrated above.The instructions 1024 may also reside, completely or at least partially,within the main memory 1004, the static memory 1006, and/or within theprocessor 1002 during execution thereof by the computer system 1000. Themain memory 1004 and the processor 1002 also may constitute tangiblecomputer-readable storage media.

Dedicated hardware implementations including, but not limited to,application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic arrays andother hardware devices can likewise be constructed to implement themethods described herein. Application specific integrated circuits andprogrammable logic array can use downloadable instructions for executingstate machines and/or circuit configurations to implement embodiments ofthe subject disclosure. Applications that may include the apparatus andsystems of various embodiments broadly include a variety of electronicand computer systems. Some embodiments implement functions in two ormore specific interconnected hardware modules or devices with relatedcontrol and data signals communicated between and through the modules,or as portions of an application-specific integrated circuit. Thus, theexample system is applicable to software, firmware, and hardwareimplementations.

In accordance with various embodiments of the subject disclosure, theoperations or methods described herein are intended for operation assoftware programs or instructions running on or executed by a computerprocessor or other computing device, and which may include other formsof instructions manifested as a state machine implemented with logiccomponents in an application specific integrated circuit or fieldprogrammable gate array. Furthermore, software implementations (e.g.,software programs, instructions, etc.) including, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein. It is furthernoted that a computing device such as a processor, a controller, a statemachine or other suitable device for executing instructions to performoperations or methods may perform such operations directly or indirectlyby way of one or more intermediate devices directed by the computingdevice.

While the tangible computer-readable storage medium 1022 is shown in anexample embodiment to be a single medium, the term “tangiblecomputer-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a singlemedium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database,and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets ofinstructions. The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shallalso be taken to include any non-transitory medium that is capable ofstoring or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machineand that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methods ofthe subject disclosure. The term “non-transitory” as in a non-transitorycomputer-readable storage includes without limitation memories, drives,devices and anything tangible but not a signal per se.

The term “tangible computer-readable storage medium” shall accordinglybe taken to include, but not be limited to: solid-state memories such asa memory card or other package that houses one or more read-only(non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or other re-writable(volatile) memories, a magneto-optical or optical medium such as a diskor tape, or other tangible media which can be used to store information.Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include any one or more ofa tangible computer-readable storage medium, as listed herein andincluding art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which thesoftware implementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the disclosure is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, HTTP) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are from time-to-timesuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Wireless standards for device detection (e.g.,RFID), short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth®, WiFi, Zigbee®), andlong-range communications (e.g., WiMAX, GSM, CDMA, LTE) can be used bycomputer system 1000.

The illustrations of embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments,and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all theelements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use ofthe structures described herein. Many other embodiments will be apparentto those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Theexemplary embodiments can include combinations of features and/or stepsfrom multiple embodiments. Other embodiments may be utilized and derivedtherefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figuresare also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certainproportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated toachieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodimentsshown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations orvariations of various embodiments. Combinations of the aboveembodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein,can be used in the subject disclosure. In one or more embodiments,features that are positively recited can also be excluded from theembodiment with or without replacement by another component or step. Thesteps or functions described with respect to the exemplary processes ormethods can be performed in any order. The steps or functions describedwith respect to the exemplary processes or methods can be performedalone or in combination with other steps or functions (from otherembodiments or from other steps that have not been described).

Less than all of the steps or functions described with respect to theexemplary processes or methods can also be performed in one or more ofthe exemplary embodiments. Further, the use of numerical terms todescribe a device, component, step or function, such as first, second,third, and so forth, is not intended to describe an order or functionunless expressly stated so. The use of the terms first, second, thirdand so forth, is generally to distinguish between devices, components,steps or functions unless expressly stated otherwise. Additionally, oneor more devices or components described with respect to the exemplaryembodiments can facilitate one or more functions, where the facilitating(e.g., facilitating access or facilitating establishing a connection)can include less than every step needed to perform the function or caninclude all of the steps needed to perform the function.

In one or more embodiments, a processor (which can include a controlleror circuit) has been described that performs various functions. Itshould be understood that the processor can be multiple processors,which can include distributed processors or parallel processors in asingle machine or multiple machines. The processor can be used insupporting a virtual processing environment. The virtual processingenvironment may support one or more virtual machines representingcomputers, servers, or other computing devices. In such virtualmachines, components such as microprocessors and storage devices may bevirtualized or logically represented. The processor can include a statemachine, application specific integrated circuit, and/or programmablegate array including a Field PGA. In one or more embodiments, when aprocessor executes instructions to perform “operations”, this caninclude the processor performing the operations directly and/orfacilitating, directing, or cooperating with another device or componentto perform the operations.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided with the understanding thatit will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of theclaims. In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can beseen that various features are grouped together in a single embodimentfor the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method ofdisclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that theclaimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited ineach claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subjectmatter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment.Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimedsubject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. A device comprising: a processing systemincluding a processor; and a memory storing executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance ofoperations comprising: responsive to a determination that a mobilecommunication device has been powered on, causing the mobilecommunication device to send an authentication request to a firstcommunication network; and responsive to detecting that the mobilecommunication device either has moved into a region covered by a secondcommunication network distinct from the first communication network orwill be moving into the region covered by the second communicationnetwork: updating a first data repository of the first communicationnetwork with information regarding accessibility of the secondcommunication network to the mobile communication device; signaling themobile communication device that the second communication network isaccessible to the mobile communication device; populating the first datarepository with subscriber credentials to facilitate access by themobile communication device to the second communication network; andtransmitting the subscriber credentials to a second data repository ofthe second communication network, the mobile communication devicethereby authenticated to the second communication network.
 2. The deviceof claim 1, wherein the causing the mobile communication device to sendthe authentication request to the first communication network comprisesautomatically causing the mobile communication device to send theauthentication request to a switching center of the first communicationnetwork.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the updating, the signalingand the populating are performed independently of a request from thesecond communication network.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein themobile communication device is authenticated to the second communicationnetwork prior to the mobile communication device accessing the secondcommunication network.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the detectingthat the mobile communication device will be moving into the regioncovered by the second communication network comprises predicting, basedon a detected movement of the mobile communication device, a location ofthe mobile communication device relative to the region covered by thesecond communication network.
 6. The device of claim 5, wherein theupdating, the signaling and the populating are performed in accordancewith the predicting.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the operationsfurther comprise: responsive to detecting that the mobile communicationdevice either has moved into the region covered by the secondcommunication network or will be moving into the region covered by thesecond communication network, providing an instruction for storage inthe second data repository regarding services available to the mobilecommunication device via the second communication network.
 8. The deviceof claim 1, wherein the first communication network comprises a mobilitynetwork.
 9. The device of claim 8, wherein the mobility networkcomprises one of an LTE network, a 3G network and a GSM network.
 10. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the second communication network comprises aWi-Fi network.
 11. A non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium,comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processingsystem including a processor, facilitate performance of operationscomprising: responsive to a determination that a mobile communicationdevice has been powered on, automatically causing the mobilecommunication device to send an authentication request to a switchingcenter of a first communication network; responsive to detecting thatthe mobile communication device either has moved into a region coveredby a second communication network distinct from the first communicationnetwork or is predicted to move into the region covered by the secondcommunication network: updating a first data repository of the firstcommunication network with information regarding accessibility of thesecond communication network to the mobile communication device;signaling the mobile communication device that the second communicationnetwork is accessible to the mobile communication device; populating thefirst data repository with subscriber credentials to enable the mobilecommunication device to access the second communication network; andtransmitting the subscriber credentials to a second data repository ofthe second communication network, the mobile communication devicethereby authenticated to the second communication network.
 12. Thenon-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein theupdating, the signaling and the populating are performed independentlyof a request from the second communication network.
 13. Thenon-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein thedetermining that the mobile communication device is predicted to moveinto the region covered by the second communication network comprisespredicting, based on detected movement of the mobile communicationdevice, a location of the mobile communication device relative to theregion covered by the second communication network.
 14. Thenon-transitory, machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein theupdating, the signaling and the populating are performed in accordancewith the predicting.
 15. The non-transitory, machine-readable storagemedium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: responsiveto the detecting that the mobile communication device either has movedinto the region covered by the second communication network or ispredicted to move into the region covered by the second communicationnetwork, providing an instruction for storage in the second datarepository regarding services available to the mobile communicationdevice via the second communication network.
 16. The non-transitory,machine-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein: the firstcommunication network comprises a mobility network; the mobility networkcomprises one of an LTE network, a 3G network and a GSM network; and thesecond communication network comprises a Wi-Fi network.
 17. A mobilecommunication device associated with a subscriber to a firstcommunication network, the mobile communication device comprising: aprocessing system including a processor; and a memory storing executableinstructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitateperformance of operations comprising: sending, responsive to a firstcommunication network detecting that a mobile communication device hasbeen powered on, an authentication request to the first communicationnetwork; sending a detected location of the mobile communication deviceto the first communication network, wherein the first communicationnetwork determines, based upon the detected location, that: the mobilecommunication device has already moved into a region covered by a secondcommunication network distinct from the first communication network; orthe mobile communication device is predicted to move into the regioncovered by the second communication network; and receiving a signal fromthe first communication network that the second communication network isaccessible to the mobile communication device, wherein the signal issent responsive to the first communication network detecting that themobile communication device either has moved into the region covered bythe second communication network or is predicted to move into the regioncovered by the second communication network; wherein, responsive to thefirst communication network detecting that the mobile communicationdevice either has moved into the region covered by the secondcommunication network or is predicted to move into the region covered bythe second communication network the first communication network:updates a first data repository with information regarding accessibilityof the second communication network to the mobile communication device;populates the first data repository with subscriber credentials tofacilitate access by the mobile communication device to the secondcommunication network; and transmits the subscriber credentials to asecond data repository of the second communication network, the mobilecommunication device thereby authenticated to the second communicationnetwork.
 18. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein theauthentication request is sent to a switching center of the firstcommunication network.
 19. The mobile communication device of claim 17,wherein: the first communication network comprises a mobility network;and the mobility network comprises one of an LTE network, a 3G networkand a GSM network.
 20. The mobile communication device of claim 17,wherein: the second communication network comprises a Wi-Fi network.